Installing an IoT station in the field: siting, calibration and common mistakes

Full article available in Uzbek and Russian.

A single sensor point never represents a whole field — soil texture, slope, and drainage vary within meters. Plan one representative zone per 3-5 hectares, keeping sensors away from field edges, low spots, and machinery tracks.

Install soil moisture probes at two depths: 10 cm (surface dynamics) and 30-40 cm (root zone) — surface-only readings give a false sense of available water. The most common installation error is an air gap around the probe, which distorts dielectric-based readings; backfill firmly and let the soil settle 24-48 hours before trusting data.

Factory calibration is generic — dielectric response depends on soil texture, so clay and sandy soils can show identical signals for very different real moisture content. Take a gravimetric sample from the install site and compare; if the deviation exceeds roughly ±5%, apply a soil-specific calibration curve.

Common field mistakes: cables/solar panels exposed to machinery impact, cables buried too shallow (rodent/UV damage), poorly oriented or shaded panels, stations placed too close to canals/water (distorted local readings), and GSM/LoRa coverage not checked before installation.

These are general best-practice guidelines — actual siting decisions should account for the specific soil, terrain, and climate conditions of each field.